Automatic screen.



W. M. THOMPSON;

AUTOMATIC SCREEN.

I APPLICATION TILED 920.12, 1910 1,008,499; 11181161 Nov. 14, 1911.

L'OLUMI'IIA PLaNoonAPn 20.,WASI1INCI'DON, 11. c1

UNITED STATES PATENT O] FFICE.

WALTER M. THOMPSON, 0F GRANITE FALLS, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMATIC SCREEN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patente 1 Nov. 14, 1911.

Application filed. December 12, 1910. Serial No. 596,826.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER M. THoMrsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Granite Falls, in the county of Yellow Medicine and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Screens, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in stage appliances moreparticularly to an improved draw screen or curtain.

The object of the invention is to provide a screen which is so mountedthat it may be readily drawn out of the way to one side of the stage orplatform and which when released will be automatically stretched acrossthe stage or platform.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of thenovel features of construction and the combination and arrangement ofdevices hereinafter fully described and claimed and illustrated in theaccompanyingdrawing, in which I have shown a' perspective view of myimproved draw screen or curtain.

In the drawings 1 represents a proscenium arch of a stage or any otherupright suphas atits topmetal ports between which a screen curtain orthe like 2 may be hung. This screen is flexible so that it may be drawnto one side and, as illustrated, it is of rectangular shape and guideeyes 3 to slide upon a suspending wire or cable 4. The latter forms asupporting track or guide for the screen and has one end passed over apulley in a double pulley block 5 hung from a hook 6 or otherwisesuitably connected to the upper portion of the support 1. Said end ofthe wire 4 extends downwardly and is connected by a stretching device 7to the lower portion of the support 1 or to the floor. The device 7 maybe of any suitable form and construction but, as illustrated, it is inthe form of a turn-buckle having one end connected to a stationary hook8 and its other end rovided with an eye which is engaged wit a snap hook9 on the end of the wire 4:- The other end of the wire 4 asses over oneof three pulleys in a pulley block 10 hung from a hook 11 on the otherside of the support 1 and the last mentioned end of the wire 1 extendsdownwardly and is connected to a stretching device 12, similar to thedevice 7. By the means of these snap hook 15 to the adja ent upper orright hand corner of the scresn 2 and its other end extends downwardl;and may be engaged with a cleat 1 1 s that the rope 13 will limit themovement )f the screen to the left. A second operatf ng and adjustingrope 16 is arranged upoii the other side of the device and passed anPund the other pulley in the block 5. The upper end of the rope 16 isconnected by a snap hook 17 to the upper left hand cor: 1G1 of thescreen 2 and said rope extends d1 wnwardly and has secured 'to it aweight 15 which is sufficient to draw the screen to its stretchedposition. Said weight 18 is prefer ably hooked into a metal guide member11 arranged at the lower end of the rope l6 and adapted to slide uponthe vertical portion of the wire 41 which latter thereby s( rves as aguide for the weight. A cord 21 may be attached to the weight so thatthe latter may be pulled down should the screen become caught. A thirdoperat .ng cord 21 is provided and has its upper ind passed over thethird pulley in the bloc 10, then through the rings 3 at the top )f thecurtain and connected by a'* snap ho )k 22 to the upper left hand cornerof the :urtain. The other end of the rope 21 exten is downwardly and maybe engaged with th: cleat 14 or with a si'mllar one, or it may oefastened in any other manner.

23 denotes a weight attached to the center of the bottom edge of th ascreen to hold the latter steady and 2 1 deni tes two coil sprin ssuitably fixed at one e id and having the other end detachably eng agedwith the lower corners of the screen.

In operation assumin g the screen to be in its stretched position shownin the drawings, when it is desired to draw the screen to one side ofthe stage and out of the way, the springs 24 are disco: mected from itand the lower end of the r0 e 21 is drawn upon so that the rings 3 at tl1e top of the screen will be moved to the rig ht and toward each otherto fold the screei and position it in a folded position at the righthand side of the stage. As the scre n is thus drawn or folded the weight18 is elevated so that the instant the rope 21 is released the weight 18will descend and automatically stretch the screen to its position shownin the drawing. By fastenlng the end of the rope 21 to the cleat 14after the screen has been drawn over or folded the latter will beretained in such position, and by adjusting the cope 13 the screen maybe positioned centrally between the supports 1.

While I have shown and described in detail the preferred embodiment ofmy invention, I- wish it understood that do not limit myself totheprecise construction set forth, and that various changes in the formand construction and minor details may be resorted to withoutdepartingfrom thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

An automatic screen comprising'in combination a' drawn screen, aplurality of rings disposed on the upper edge ofsaid screen, a wiretrack for said rings, a" wire rope for drawing said screen up, a hookdisposed on said last mentioned rope, a rope secured to one of saidrings disposed at the corner of said screen, a catch disposed on saidrope, a turn-buckle disposed in said rope, a cleat for fastening saidrope, another rope having a catch thereon secured in one of said ringsdisposed in the opposite cornerv of said screen, a weight disposed onthe end of said "rope, a ring secured to said weight and arranged toengagegwith one of said ropes for guiding said weight, pulleys disposedatthe upper corners of saidscreen and arranged to guide the ropes, meansfor holding said pulleys,- springs disposed at the WALTER M. THOMPSON.

Witnesses OLE HARTWICK, H. L. GUNDERsoN.

Copies of this'patentniay be obtained' fo'r five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0."

